Returning to the Water and Building a Swim Wardrobe After Mastectomy Reconstruction.

There are seasons in life when it would be easy to withdraw-to stop wearing the swimsuit, taking the trip, being photographed, or participating fully because our bodies and our lives have changed. Sometimes it happens after illness or surgery. Sometimes after aging, weight fluctuations, motherhood, heartbreak, or stress or simply the quiet realization that the body looking back at us in the mirror no longer feels like the one we once knew.

After my bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction, I understood the temptation to withdraw. But I also knew that I did not want fear to make my decision for me.

This summer, I began building a swim wardrobe with intention. Not because there is one correct swimsuit, cover-up, or hat, but because choosing thoughtfully became a way of honoring everything my body had carried me through. I wanted pieces that helped me feel comfortable, beautiful, and ready to return to the water.

I am learning that confidence does not always arrive before we act. Sometimes it grow because we choose to participate anyway. We can acknowledge the scars, changes, and uncertainty without allowing them to decide how fully we live.

Building this wardrobe has been about more than clothing. It has been about noticing what makes me feel supported, what allows me to move comfortably, and what helps me recognize myself again. A swimsuit, a linen shirt, a beautiful hat, or a thoughtfully chosen cover-up can become part of that process-not as a disguise, but as an expression of care.

This is the spirit behind House of LaFleur. We will move through seasons that change our bodies, our homes, our relationships, and our plans. We can respond by shrinking our lives, or we can make intentional decisions that help us step forward with greater tenderness and courage.

Building this swim wardrobe taught me that clothing can either become another form of judgment or a meaningful expression of care.

There is a difference between covering ourselves because we are ashamed and choosing a beautiful cover-up because it allows us to move through the day with comfort and confidence.

There is a difference between trying to disguise our body and thoughtfully supporting the body we have.

A swimsuit can offer the coverage or structure that helps us feel secure. A linen shirt can move easily from the water to lunch. A beautiful hat can provide protection while also making us feel polished. A carefully chosen bag, scarf, sunglasses, or sandals can turn getting dressed into a small ritual of self-respect.

The clothes are not the source of our worth but they can help us express the care we are learning to give ourselves.

What I Chose-and Why

I wanted my swim wardrobe to feel timeless, elegant, practical, and intentional.

I chose pieces that work together rather than a collection of unrelated items. A refined swimsuit. A light linen cover-up, A hat that feels beautiful enough to wear beyond the pool. Sunglasses that make me feel chic. A bag that holds what I need without looking overly casual. Simple accessories that complete the look without competing with it.

Each piece had to serve a purpose and be timeless.

I wanted enough coverage to feel comfortable, while celebrating the changes. I wanted to feel feminine in clothing that allows me to swim, walk, sit by the water, share a meal and be photographed without spending the entire day thinking about my body.

The material of the Hunza G swimsuit is one size. It is designed to fit multiple shapes and sizes so it was the perfect choice for me as I am facing additional breast revision surgeries to release scar tissue and correct concave areas. The suit will remain comfortable through these changes.

The Erik Javit hat protects me from the sun while it adds structure and elegance to my wardrobe. It is packable to I intend to use it while traveling.

The oversized linen shirt from J Crew can be worn in multiple ways. Unbuttoned, it is a cute swim suit cover-up or sun protection paired with shorts and a tank. Buttoned up, the shirt because a casual dress for going out. Adding a cute belt completely changes the look as a dress and defines my waist.

The Anne Valentin sunglasses are prescription bi-focals. They are tinted at 60% to provide enough protection from the sun but not be so dark that I need to remove them in a store.

To me, intentional style means choosing carefully, understanding what makes me feel comfortable and beautiful, and creating a wardrobe that allows me to fully participate in my life.

Our Body Is Not a Before-and-After Story

We are often encouraged to think of our bodies as projects.

We compare the present to the past. We focus on what has changed, softened, scarred, shifted, or disappeared. We imagine that confidence will return when we lose the weight, finish healing, regain our strength, reverse the signs of gaining, or look more like an earlier version of ourselves.

But, out bodies are not before-and-after photographs.

They are living histories.

They carry the pregnancies, illnesses, surgeries, grief, laughter, pleasure, work caregiving, strength, adventure, survival and years or ordinary life. They change because we have lived.

My mastectomy and reconstruction is a dramatic example, but the lesson is not limited to cancer survivors.

Every woman has a body story. The details may be different, but the invitation is the same.

Stop postponing tenderness.

Stop asking your body to become something else before you allow it to be loved.

Stop believing you must return to an earlier version of yourself in order to be beautiful.

Participation Before Confidence

I am learning that confidence does not always arrive before we act.

Sometimes confidence grows because we choose to participate anyway.

We wear the swimsuit.

We take the trip.

We step into the photograph.

We join the family in the water.

We allow ourselves to be seen.

Then we discover that the moment mattered more than the insecurity.

An invitation

House of LaFleur is not a place rooted in perfection. It is a place rooted in presence.

It is about choosing beauty now.

It is about creating homes, wardrobes, routines, travels and lives that support who we are today-not who we used to be or who we think we should become.

It is aging with enthusiasm, making thoughtful choices and refusing to shrink our lives because of our bodies, relationships, homes, or plans have changed.

I want this to be a place where you feel encouraged to participate fully in every season of your beautiful life.

Today, I am choosing the water. I am choosing beauty. I am choosing to celebrate the strength it took to arrive here and to care for the body that carried me here. And I am inviting you to come along.

Your life is happening today. Your body is here today. And both are worthy of love.

The House is Open. Come along

Continue the Journey

The pieces I chose for rebuilding my swim wardrobe—and why I chose them are listed in The House Edit, where I share products that have earned a place in my home and life.

The House is Open.

Thank you for spending a little time here today.

Every story is richer when it's shared.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, your experiences, or what this season of life is teaching you. If this story resonated with you, I hope you'll add your voice in the comments below. If you'd like to continue the conversation and receive future stories by email, I invite you to join the House of LaFleur conversation.

The House is Open. Welcome in.

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Love the Body You Have Today